Biden to ask Congress for more Ukraine aid

New Florida map would boost GOP in U.S. House

President Biden wants more weapons for Ukraine. The House GOP Leader hears his own phone call about Donald Trump. And a Palmetto State GOP surprise. This is “Regular Order” for April 22, 2022.

UKRAINE. As the White House moved on Thursday to approve another shipment of weapons to Ukraine, President Biden made clear he would need Congress to approve even more aid in the weeks ahead. "I've almost exhausted the drawdown authority I have that Congress authorized for Ukraine in a bipartisan spending bill last month," the President said.

• ARMS. The latest installment of that $14 billion aid package featured more heavy equipment going to fight Russia: howitzers, 144,000 rounds of ammunition, and extra tactical drones. But more will be needed. "My hope is and my expectation is Congress would move and act quickly," Mr. Biden added.

• CONGRESS. There was immediate support from lawmakers. “The United States should keep this up for as long as Putin’s vicious, unprovoked invasion persists,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).

• AID PLAN. Across the Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled her quick support, as lawmakers return next week from a two-week Easter break. It’s not yet clear how big this package of aid will be.

GHOST DRONE. There have been a lot of lawmakers complaining publicly that the U.S hasn’t been doing enough for Ukraine. But in yesterday’s $800 million arms package, three was one curious item - ‘Phoenix Ghost Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems’ - a drone which no one really knew about.

• ONE WAY. It turns out the Phoenix Ghost is a newly-developed suicide drone which was put together in recent months by the Air Force. Pentagon officials said it is designed to ‘deliver a punch,’ and should work well for Ukraine.

• UAV. The Phoenix Ghost drone is different than the Switchblade drones which have already been sent to Ukraine.

MCCARTHY. House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy denounced a New York Times report on Thursday, which claimed that he wanted to press for Donald Trump's resignation in the aftermath of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. "The New York Times' reporting on me is totally false and wrong," McCarthy said in a statement.

• LORDY THERE ARE TAPES. But a few hours later, MSNBC played the tape of a McCarthy phone call with fellow Republicans on Jan. 10, in which the House GOP Leader clearly said he was going to tell Trump that if impeached, “it would be my recommendation you should resign.” Listen for yourself.

Acyn @Acyn

Recording of McCarthy and Cheney

HOUSE GOP. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) - one of the very few Republicans to take on Trump - quickly accused McCarthy of being a liar. “Republicans, your leaders think you are dumb,” Kinzinger tweeted last night after hearing the McCarthy tape.

• DEMS. Democrats also piled on. "McCarthy has plainly been caught lying," said Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA). "This is exactly why Kevin McCarthy and his ilk are so desperate for a coverup," added Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). "What a goddamn disgrace," said Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ).

GEORGIA. Donald Trump on Thursday denounced efforts to push Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) off the ballot this year - but instead of attacking the liberal group behind the legal challenge, Trump went after some of his most-hated elected Republicans in the state of Georgia.

• TRUMP. "The Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, perhaps in collusion with the Radical Left Democrats, have allowed a horrible thing to happen to a very popular Republican," Trump said about Greene in a statement.

• TODAY. A hearing on the challenge is set for today in Georgia before a state administrative law judge, where Greene is expected to testify. A similar effort against Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) was thrown out.

OHIO SENATE. Donald Trump's endorsement this week in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate in Ohio has created open warfare between Team Trump and a well-known conservative group, the Club for Growth. And it’s getting nastier by the minute, with the May 2 primary just around the corner.

• ENDORSEMENT. Trump endorsed J.D. Vance, well known in his previous life as a Never Trumper. The Club for Growth has endorsed Josh Mandel, and has been running TV ads using Vance's own words against Trump.

• TRUMP. Evidently, Trump thought his endorsement of Vance would end the race. But the Club for Growth is still on the air against Vance - with the old anti-Trump quotes. Last night, Trump’s son joined in with an attack on Mandel.

Donald Trump Jr. @DonaldJTrumpJr

Ohio friends - Meet the real @JoshMandelOhio. The Club for Chinese Growth backed establishment candidate in the #OHSen race.

PALMETTO STATE. The effort led by Donald Trump to get rid of freshman Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) from Congress took another step forward on Thursday, as Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) stunned Republicans by endorsing Mace's challenger, Katie Arrington, in the June 14 GOP primary.

• WILSON. "Washington needs more people who understand the significant implications of a weak America on the world stage," Wilson said in a statement supporting Arrington. "Katie is a proven fighter for our conservative principles of limited government."

• MACED. Mace got on the wrong side of Donald Trump soon after she arrived in Congress, and now her future has divided the South Carolina GOP. Former Gov. Nikki Haley remains on her side. But to have the most veteran House member from the state go against Mace is a big deal.

FLORIDA. Republicans in the Florida legislature delivered a dream plan for the national GOP on Thursday, voting to redistrict the state in a way which could erase at least four Democratic seats from the U.S. House. It seems certain to lead to a legal fight in the courts.

• DEMOCRATS. Maybe most in danger is Rep. Al Lawson (D-FL), whose Tallahassee to Jacksonville district will now be centered on Jacksonville and Duval County. "DeSantis is showing Florida voters that he is governing the state as a dictator," Lawson fumed on Thursday.

• MAJORITY MINORITY. Democrats contend the new GOP map in Florida violates the Voting Rights Act, by erasing Lawson's majority minority district, and by draining black voters from other districts. "Florida will be sued," vowed Democratic Party election super lawyer Marc Elias.

DISNEY. As Florida state lawmakers also voted yesterday to get rid of a special taxing district which was set up in 1967 to help create Disney World - it was a reminder that there are Republicans in Congress who are ready to punish Disney at the federal level as well.

• COPYRIGHT. Earlier this month, 17 GOP lawmakers sent a letter to Disney in which they specifically threatened to block the renewal of the Mickey Mouse copyright, which expires at the end of 2023.

• LETTER. "It's unfortunate that Disney, once an American success story, has allied with a hostile foreign regime and domestic ideologues who seek to tear our country apart," the GOP group wrote. The letter was signed by two Florida Republicans, Rep. Greg Steube and Rep. Byron Donalds.

• FLORIDA. I’ve reported on Florida politics for nearly 40 years. Things have veered to the GOP side so sharply that I’m not sure the Sunshine State even deserves to be called a ‘swing state’ in a Presidential election.

TITLE 42. More Democrats are calling on the White House to delay lifting 'Title 42' - the Coronavirus restriction which has allowed the feds to turn back well over one million migrants at the southern border with Mexico. "Our country is not currently ready to contend with a surge of arrivals," two House Democrats wrote on Thursday.

• LETTER. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) told top administration officials to put their plans on hold until 'they have created and put in place a comprehensive plan' to deal with an expected surge in illegal immigration. See their letter at this link.

• IMMIGRATION. Don't sleep on this issue. There is clearly growing concern within the ranks of Democrats about their political exposure on illegal immigration. Look for Republicans to continue to find ways to pound on that when the Congress returns to work next week.

DISABILITY BENEFITS. In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that U.S. citizens living Puerto Rico are not entitled to federal aid from the Supplemental Security Income program, which aims to help poor, elderly, blind, or disabled persons. "The Constitution does not require Congress to extend SSI benefits to residents of Puerto Rico," the majority wrote.

• DEMS. The ruling sparked disgust on Capitol Hill. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) said the ruling only 'confirms Puerto Rico's colonial and second-class status." "The Supreme Court's ruling is unfair to American citizens living in Puerto Rico," added Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL).

• TERRITORIES. But Congress made the SSI rules different for U.S. territories. For example, if you live in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa, you don't qualify for SSI. But if you live in the Northern Mariana Islands, you do. There’s your fact of the day.

MASKS. Republicans are still dumping on the CDC decision to appeal a federal court decision lifting a travel mask mandate. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said the CDC 'should focus on establishing its non-existent credibility, instead of trying to litigate its non-existent authority.'

• YOUR CHOICE. GOP lawmakers are also casting masks as a personal decision. "For anyone who needs to hear it: ending mask mandates does not mean masks are banned. Wear a mask, don’t wear a mask - it’s your call," said Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL).

COVID. Deaths from the Coronavirus in the United States are slowly inching their way to the 1 million mark. In a new report, the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 234,000 people could have lived - if they had just taken the Coronavirus vaccine.

• KFF. "These vaccine-preventable deaths represent 60% of all adult COVID-19 deaths since June 2021, and a quarter (24%) of the nearly 1 million COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began," the group wrote. Read their report at this link.

MASK MANDATE. While many people celebrated this week’s ruling against a travel mask mandate on airplanes, trains, and buses, my travels over the past two weeks showed those rules weren’t exactly keeping Americans at home. Much more in my column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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MUSE OF HISTORY. April 22, 1970. This was the first 'Earth Day,' an idea pressed by Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, who spent that week on a national speaking tour at colleges and universities, two state legislatures, a UAW convention, and at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School outside Washington. "The very concept of Earth Day sounded like a far-out idea when he first suggested it," said Sen. William Proxmire (D-WI). Nelson suggested a constitutional amendment which would guarantee every person 'the inalienable right to a decent environment.'

LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:

The House next has votes on Tuesday.

The Senate is back on Monday.

President Biden’s daily schedule link.

Follow me on Twitter @jamiedupree. Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com

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